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TEXT 21

TEXT 21

Texte

Text

kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve
hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ
bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve
hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ
bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate

Synonyms

Synonyms

kārya: de l’effet; kāraṇa: et de la cause; kartṛtve: en ce qui concerne la création; hetuḥ: l’instrument; prakṛtiḥ: la nature matérielle; ucyate: est dite être; puruṣaḥ: l’être vivant; sukha: du bonheur; duḥkhānām: du malheur; bhoktṛtve: dans la jouissance; hetuḥ: l’instrument; ucyate: est dit être.

kārya — of effect; kāraṇa — and cause; kartṛtve — in the matter of creation; hetuḥ — the instrument; prakṛtiḥ — material nature; ucyate — is said to be; puruṣaḥ — the living entity; sukha — of happiness; duḥkhānām — and distress; bhoktṛtve — in enjoyment; hetuḥ — the instrument; ucyate — is said to be.

Translation

Translation

La nature est la cause de toute cause et de tout effet matériels, et l’être vivant, de toutes souffrances et de tous plaisirs en ce monde.

Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.

Purport

Purport

La nature matérielle octroie une grande variété de corps aux êtres vivants; 8400000 exactement. Elle crée ces formes de vie pour satisfaire leur désir de jouir de tel ou tel plaisir dans tel ou tel type de corps. À partir du moment où l’être distinct s’incarne, il éprouve un certain nombre de joies et de peines, qui toutes proviennent du corps et non de lui, alors que dans sa condition originelle, il ne connaît que le bonheur. Celle-ci est donc sa condition naturelle. Il ne doit vivre en ce monde que parce qu’il désire dominer la nature matérielle. Un tel désir n’a pas sa place dans le monde spirituel, car celui-ci est pur.

Dans l’univers matériel, chacun lutte durement pour goûter tous les plaisirs possibles. Le corps est le produit des sens, lesquels sont des instruments mis à la disposition de l’être pour satisfaire ses désirs. Quand la nature matérielle lui offre cet ensemble corps-sens, elle prend en compte ses désirs mais aussi ce que furent ses actes passés. Ainsi, comme l’expliquera le prochain verset, parfois elle le bénit, parfois elle le punit. L’être est donc responsable du type d’enveloppe corporelle qu’il reçoit et des joies et des peines concomitantes. Une fois placé dans un corps particulier, il tombe sous le joug de la nature matérielle, car le corps, fait de matière, agit selon ses lois. Et l’être ne peut rien y changer. S’il obtient un corps de chien, par exemple, il devra agir comme un chien. Il ne pourra faire autrement. Dans un corps de porc, il se verra forcé de manger des excréments et d’agir comme un porc. Et s’il obtient un corps de deva, il devra également agir comme tel. Telle est la loi de la nature. Mais en toutes circonstances, l’Âme Suprême accompagne l’âme individuelle. C’est ce qu’expliquent les Védas (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1): dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyaḥ. Le Seigneur est si bon envers les êtres incarnés, que toujours Il les accompagne dans Sa forme de Paramātmā, d’Âme Suprême.

The different manifestations of body and senses among the living entities are due to material nature. There are 8,400,000 different species of life, and these varieties are creations of the material nature. They arise from the different sensual pleasures of the living entity, who thus desires to live in this body or that. When he is put into different bodies, he enjoys different kinds of happiness and distress. His material happiness and distress are due to his body, and not to himself as he is. In his original state there is no doubt of enjoyment; therefore that is his real state. Because of the desire to lord it over material nature, he is in the material world. In the spiritual world there is no such thing. The spiritual world is pure, but in the material world everyone is struggling hard to acquire different kinds of pleasures for the body. It might be more clear to state that this body is the effect of the senses. The senses are instruments for gratifying desire. Now, the sum total – body and instrument senses – is offered by material nature, and as will be clear in the next verse, the living entity is blessed or damned with circumstances according to his past desire and activity. According to one’s desires and activities, material nature places one in various residential quarters. The being himself is the cause of his attaining such residential quarters and his attendant enjoyment or suffering. Once placed in some particular kind of body, he comes under the control of nature because the body, being matter, acts according to the laws of nature. At that time, the living entity has no power to change that law. Suppose an entity is put into the body of a dog. As soon as he is put into the body of a dog, he must act like a dog. He cannot act otherwise. And if the living entity is put into the body of a hog, then he is forced to eat stool and act like a hog. Similarly, if the living entity is put into the body of a demigod, he must act according to his body. This is the law of nature. But in all circumstances, the Supersoul is with the individual soul. That is explained in the Vedas (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1) as follows: dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyaḥ. The Supreme Lord is so kind upon the living entity that He always accompanies the individual soul and in all circumstances is present as the Supersoul, or Paramātmā.